The past several weeks have been busy with school, sports, travel, and being present for friends and others.

Sadie and Christy went on a school trip to Washington, DC, promptly followed by Christy and I popping back up to DC for a two-day Churches for Middle East Peace advocacy summit.

Sadie (school) and Riley (YMCA) both had playoff soccer. No championship trophies, sadly, but it was a rewarding experience for both in terms of play and connecting with teammates.

This coming weeks will provide a bit of a break before Christy’s church and synod travels begin in earnest at the end of the month, and we head into a busy June of camps and family travel.

Hope this finds you all well. Peace.

Supporting friends at a 7th & 8th Grade end-of-year concert at the middle school Sadie and Riley used to attend.

Supporting another set of friends at a different school.

Had the privilege of attending the senior thesis presentation for now-Lenoir-Rhyne University graduate Natalie Mosier.

Motivational messaging in Washington, DC.

Interesting architectural flex in DC. The poem on the steps is excerpted from Maya Angelou’s “Alone”:

Lying, thinking
Last night
How to find my soul a home
Where water is not thirsty
And bread loaf is not stone
I came up with one thing
And I don’t believe I’m wrong
That nobody,
But nobody
Can make it out here alone.

Maxwell Park wine bar in DC builds its wine menu around monthly themes. In this case, how cultivating on sloping vineyards (as opposed to flat ones) impacts wine quality and taste. How that got them to Tina Turner I don’t know, but we appreciated that each month theme comes with its own specialized staff tee shirts.

Still Life, College Town.

Resting Avatar Face, A Study.

At the Little Grill in Harrisonburg, VA.

Hey, y’all. It’s been a minute. As many/most know by now, we have been relocated to the US given the ongoing political and military crisis in the region. We are back in North Carolina for the time being, with the kids finishing out the school year and trying new sports (for Riley, t’s flag football; for Sadie, it’s soccer), and all of us reconnecting with the community we were part of before leaving for Jerusalem.

Now that we are settled in back in NC, I will be getting back to posting more often about our time back in the States, including our upcoming travels to supporting congregations and synods to talk about our experience so far in the Holy Land. The current plan is for us to be here through July, during which time we will be closely watching developments in the Middle East to determine when we will be able to return to Jerusalem.

We’d also like to thank you all for your continued support and prayers, and for welcoming us back so fully during this time. Peace.

The flight back from Jordan to the US. Fun fact to share at your next party: The maximum number of in-cabin falcons allowed on a wide-bodied Royal Jordanian aircraft is 15 (10 for a narrow-bodied aircraft).

Attending the Lenoir-Rhyne University A Capella Choir’s performance of their “The Road to Freedom” concert, celebrating the history and witness of the Freedom Riders movement.

Sadie recording vocals for a exciting new music project.

Flag Football playoffs. That’s Riley with his hands on his head.

Seen outside the Royal Automobile Museum. The letter on the red block is the letter “m” (mim) in Arabic, but it reminded me of the Philadelphia Phillies logo.

This is a Mercedes race/rally at the museum. I post it out of appreciation for the VHS recorder attached to the front bumper.

Respect for the old school GoPro.

Not a great photo on my part, but this young lady was a delight to share traffic with once we noticed each other.

“Sardine” is an Amman-based street artist who features a lot of paper boats in his work.

Sardine’s tag.

Pretty self-explanatory.

One our hosts was performing in a school Spring music concert, so we headed down to the Rainbow Street neighborhood to hear a selection of choral and orchestra pieces performed by students from Grade 1 through high school, as well as some community members.

Wize One seems distressed.

Inside a local bookstore we encountered a camel constructed of book pages, but also resembling one of those giant spits of meat you find in a shawarma shop.

It wasn’t a plethora of piñatas (If you know, you know.) but it was a bevy of baskets.

Their coffee is mid. Wonder how Gen Z feels about that?

KITTEHS!!!!!!!!

A little night music.

We got out of the bubble for a few hours to visit the Roman Theatre as well as Citadel Hill, an archaeological site where you can find the remains of (amongst other things) a mosque, a Byzantine church, and a temple to Hercules. Which gives you a sense of why it is considered one of the oldest continually inhabited spots in history.

Thanks as always for your prayers and messages. Peace.

View from the plaza outside the main theatre.

The view from the stage.

The view from the cheap seats. Steps were small, steep, and did not come with the benefit of hand rails.

With Downtown Amman in the distance.

There’s also a cabaret space next door.

The cheap seats in this space don’t induce the same vertigo as the main theatre.

Always fascinated by mural art.

The ruins at the Temple of Hercules on Citadel Hill.

The view from Citadel Hill, giving some sense of the enormity of Downtown Amman.

Making friends.

Always making friends.

At Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd in Amman. Jesus was a redhead. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

We got out of our host’s apartment for a few hours to check out Amman’s nearby City Mall, and pick up some provisions for the coming days. The mall includes a HyperMax, which is said to be the largest retail store in the country. Think Costco or Sam’s Club, but with two floors instead of one. Since it’s Ramadan, the stores closed between 6:00-7:30pm while people broke fast. And while Riley wanted to check out the Jingo Jungle (a cross between Chuck E Cheese and Sky Zone) and the laser tag place, that will have to wait for another day. Something I don’t think I’d seen before was a floor specifically designated for services–mostly financial and cellular–rather than finding them mixed in with other retailers.

Anyhoo, we are staying safe, getting to know our colleagues more, and introducing kids to such classic movies as “Robin Hood: Men In Tights”. Thanks for your continued thoughts, prayers and check-ins.

Looks like someone lost their TGIF brand license. Good thing “Friday” isn’t copyrighted. Or is it…?

On the one had, Krispy Kreme was not on my “Things found in a mall in Jordan” bingo card. On the other, there is a strong donuts/sweets culture in the region, so we shouldn’t be surprised.

They see me rollin’
They hatin’

Practically impractical? Discuss.

Awww. You shouldn’t have.

As a former advertising copywriter, I remain fascinated by naming conventions and choices. I read one speculation that “Pull & Bear” is misappropriated English slang for “tug of war”. (The company that owns the chain in Spanish.) Another said it was a variation on prêt-à-porter. [shrug]

Another local example of not having the naming rights but still feeling free to use the style guide.

Given the current uncertainty in the region, we have relocated to Jordan and are staying with our very gracious and generous colleagues Jen and Mark, while we assess current events and next steps. The day started at 5:00am and included a super long line of vehicles at the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge crossing. But, we – and that includes our cats – made it Amman by 2:30pm and are letting folks know that we have arrived safely and are settled in. We continue to prayer for peace and the safety of our friends, colleagues and acquaintances, and are grateful to you all for checking in on us throughout this stressful time.

Peace.

As is the tradition on Shrove Tuesday, we prepared for the start of the Lenten season by hosting a pancake dinner at church. We are immensely grateful to those who shared the meal with us (28 in all, including the Lohr Sapps), and to our colleagues Olivia and Nik for all their help with prep and cleanup.

Cookin’.

One broken burner didn’t stop the crew from churning out the goodies.

Toppings included strawberries, bananas, shredded halva, various nut modalities, whipped cream, and chocolate chips.

‘Um…where’s my plate?’

‘Well, friend. Sadie left her plate unguarded. Just sayin’…’

All were served.

Community, carbs, and conversation.

Christy and I are always on the lookout for religious artwork. It can be more traditional in approach, such as the painting we bought of St. Paul’s Reformed Church in Newton. But it can also be things that bring joy in their own quirky way, like this little gem that we found at a gift shop near the Mount of Temptation.

There’s plenty going on. The font choice and design wouldn’t be out of place on a 1960s San Francisco concert poster, while “The Liberator” gives hints at a 1970s action flick. Jesus seems to be sporting a 1980s mullet, though I don’t think there’s enough on top to qualify. And if he shaved, he’d up his rizz quotient with that jawline.

Timeless, friends. Timeless.